The Hawaiian people and their culture make Hawaii a unique paradise. The peaceful gathering at the base of Mauna Kea has received some media coverage lately. https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2019/07/13/young-hawaiians-learn-about-protection-mauna-kea-ahead-conflict/ This gathering, more than almost any other event I can recall in my 64 years, has demonstrated the strength and beauty of the Hawaiian people and culture.

In the past, aspects of the culture have been commercialized and trivialized. We have no one to blame for this but ourselves, because of the leaders we chose to elect. It is not the fault of tourists travelling here as a result of the marketing they have seen, but it is well past time to set the record straight.

This is not a huge amusement park. This is a place of extraordinary natural bounty and beauty, and the land, the people and the culture here deserve to be treated with the utmost respect.

Thriving on these islands is not easy, despite their felicitous placement in the generally benign central pacific ocean. The fact that the Hawaiians managed to thrive until their numbers were decimated by disease brought by explorers, shows just how adaptive they must have been. The fact that they are now stronger and more unified than they have been since their language was banned in the late 1800ʻs, shows their wonderful resilience.

Whether coming to visit or hoping to establish a new home in Hawaii, people who come with open minds and a willingness to respect those already here will truly find a paradise!